Thousands of women with breast cancer cannot benefit from new drug lasting eight months after NHS approval
- The drug ribociclib, also known as Kisqali, can extend life by eight months
- Around 3,300 women each year could benefit from the decision according to NICE
- The regulation makes the drug available to patients through the NHS
Thousands of women with unrecoverable breast cancer will benefit from a new drug that extends the life of the health service.
The NHS drug regulator has approved the use of ribociclib, also known as Kisqali, which could extend life by eight months.
Approximately 3,300 women each year could benefit from the decision, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said.
Daily treatment can delay the progression of breast cancer and the point at which a patient needs to start chemotherapy, as well as prolong life.
The use of ribociclib, also known as Kisqali, is approved by the NHS drug regulator
Ribociclib can be used with the fulvestrant drug to treat hormone-promoting receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative, advanced breast cancer.
It has been available since 2019 through the Cancer Drug Fund, which was established in 2011 to provide patients with access to non-confirmed or experimental cancer treatments.
But Nice ‘s rule means it’s now available through the NHS to anyone who needs it after evidence shows it offers value for money.
Baroness Delyth Morgan, of the charity Breast Cancer Now, said: ‘This life-changing treatment will now give thousands more women living with secondary breast cancer hopefully more time valuable for living well.
‘As well as offering patients with incurable breast cancer extra time, this innovative combination of drugs can help delay the need for chemotherapy and its sub- its devastating effects. ‘
About two-thirds of young women with breast cancer have hormone receptor-positive receptors, 2-negative human epidermal growth.
A clinical trial found that ribociclib in addition to fulvestrant prevented tumors from growing for an average of 14.6 months – up from 9.1 months with fulvestrant alone.
Patients who received the treatment also lived an average of 40.2 months – up from 32.5 months.
Ribociclib works by disrupting proteins in cancer cells, stopping them from dividing and growing.
After a week of beta blockers, the scientists discovered its effect in stopping the spread of cancer (stock – 3D image of breast cancer)
It is given as three 200mg tablets once a day for 21 consecutive days, followed by seven days off treatment before repeating the cycle.
A pack of 63 tablets has a list price of £ 2,950, but the manufacturer has offered the NHS an unpublished discount.
Meindert Boysen, from the Nice Center for Health Technology Assessment, said: ‘Remedies that can delay the progression of disease are important because they can mean that some people can experience the often unpleasant side effects of chemotherapy. avoid, and delay the need for its use in others.
‘We are therefore pleased that our original decision to provide ribociclib through the CDF not only gave people access to it earlier … but now, through past data collected in that time, let us recommend it for regular use on the NHS. ‘